Essex’s Jordan Cox scores 184 at Grace Road while Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone grabs five wickets against Kent
Delays at Grace Road, Trent Bridge and Blackpool, but all up and running otherwise.
Shoaib Bashir though is playing for Derbyshire up at CLS, and ex Derbyshire bowler Duanne Olivier for Durham, but no sign yet of Ben Stokes.
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Can the San Antonio Spurs actually recover from the most devastating collapse in NBA Finals history? While the odds are heavily stacked against them, the New York Knicks still have to cross the finish line to secure that elusive fourth victory.
Our featured Knicks vs. Spurs props and NBA picks expect the regular-season champs to dig deep and put up a ferocious fight on their home floor for Game 5 this Saturday, June 13.
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Victor Wembanyama | Over 27.5 points | -120 |
 Karl-Anthony Towns | Over 11.5 rebounds | +110 |
| Dylan Harper | Over 3.5 assists | +125 |
Victor Wembanyama played all 12 minutes of Wednesday’s fourth quarter, yet he scored only five points, going 2-of-9 from the field and not taking a 3-pointer. Consider that to be the latest evidence of the San Antonio Spurs’ superstar’s exhaustion.
This is his first playoff run. He has never played into late April before, let alone mid-June. And the intensity of these games adds up. Fatigue is understandable even if also becoming a liability.
But with an added day off, Wembanyama should be ready to charge forward in Game 5, and he has always preferred shooting at home. Some consideration could be put into betting the Over on his 3-pointers prop, set at 1.5 but juiced to -200.
An extra day off before Game 3 helped Wembanyama to an 11-of-21 showing for 32 points, despite shooting only four 3-pointers. Expect a 3-of-7 or 3-of-8 showing from long range as Wembanyama again reaches 30 points in Game 5.
The Spurs could not have started Game 4 in a better way than notching two fouls on Karl-Anthony Towns within the first minute of the game. Failing to find a win when granted that break is nearly as damning as blowing a 29-point lead was.
Once Towns was back on the court in full, he returned to his effectiveness. He finished with 10 rebounds despite playing less than 26 minutes. He snagged seven boards once free of his shackles in the second half.
He is effectively the New York Knicks’ only quality big man in this series; obviously that drastically understates Towns’s role. Every Mitchell Robinson minute risks Hack-A-Mitch, but when facing Wembanyama, New York needs size.
Expect at least 35 minutes from Towns in Game 5, if not 40.
This prop is set at the right number, but the plus-money is foolish. Towns cleared this in the first two games of this series, and he fell short in Game 4 only because of the opening minute’s whistles.
Obviously and memorably De’Aaron Fox had an ugly closing few minutes in Game 4 that likely cost the Spurs a win. But San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson should already have been playing Fox fewer minutes and turning to Dylan Harper more often.
Harper is clearly the Spurs’ best guard in this series, outplaying both Fox and Stephon Castle. He has notched at least three assists in each of the last three games, playing 32 minutes in each and with a usage rate of at least 22.1% in them after playing only 28 minutes in Game 1 with a usage rate of 19.0%.
San Antonio’s best chance at shocking everyone in these Finals includes elevating Harper to the No. 2 role behind Wembanyama. The headlines will say that comes at Fox’s expense, but it was an obvious need long before Fox missed a layup and failed to box out OG Anunoby.
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Seventeen years ago today, the Pittsburgh Penguins stunned the Detroit Red Wings to win the team’s third Stanley Cup title.
The Penguins were heavy underdogs in the Stanley Cup Final series against the Red Wings, who were the defending champions from the prior year.
Pittsburgh seemed extremely outmatched during stretches of the series, losing all three road games in Detroit, but winning Games 3, 4, and 6 to force a deciding Game 7 back at Joe Louis Arena.
Maxime Talbot opened the scoring early in the second period of the game, beating goaltender Chris Osgood to make it a 1-0 game.
Sidney Crosby left the game with a knee injury, but the Penguins kept pressing on.
Maxime Talbot was the star of the game, scoring a second goal near the midway point of the second period, picking a corner against Osgood to make it 2-0 Pittsburgh.
From there, it seemed like the Penguins were hanging on for dear life.
Jonathan Ericsson got the Red Wings on the board and Niklas Kronwall nearly tied the game, hitting the crossbar with a shot with just over 2 minutes remaining in the contest.
With the Penguins hanging on, Marc-Andre Fleury made a diving save on Nicklas Lidstrom as time was expiring and as time expired, the Penguins were Stanley Cup champions.
So…anybody gonna be in San Antonio Saturday?
What a month this has been for the NHL and NBA finals, each with tremendously entertaining series and, in the Knicks’ case, the chance to make a city explode and unite around a title not seen in half a century.
A cup win for Raleigh or Vegas would be…less impactful, but it will still be the conclusion to a riveting series.
As for us, check back later for an outstanding Weird Islanders episode with former Isles beatwriter Arthur Staple discussing the weird Nino Niederreiter year (and a bonus run-in with Jack Capuano).
Pitching was sharp on both sides in this one as Sawyer Gipson-Long posted his best start of the season while the Hens were held to four hits.
The right-hander fired five scoreless innings of one-hit ball of his own in this one. Gipson-Long allowed two walks, but he struck out five on the evening. As usual, his slider-changeup combo was very good, but his fastball metrics remain well below average. Ricky Vanasco succeeded him with a scoreless inning of work, and Troy Watson took it the rest of the way. He too pitched a solid three innings, but allowed a solo shot in the top of the ninth for the only run in this one.
Max Clark went 0-for-5 but didn’t strike out, and he was the only Hen who could say that. Corey Julks had two hits to lead the offense, such as it was as Saints veteran Austin Voth struck out eight in his start.
Julks: 2-4, 2B, 2 K
Gipson-Long: 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, 2 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday in Toledo.
John Peck came through with a walkoff double after the RubberDucks tied this one up late.
Starter Sean Hunley struggled for Erie in this one, but the offense seized control pretty early after Hunley gave up four runs in four innings.
Brett Callahan is really pressing his case for a move to Toledo now. The left-handed outfielder crushed a solo shot in the bottom of the first for his 12th home run of the season, and his fifth in the last six games. Callahan is holding his own against left-handed pitching and destroying right-handers. The Tigers do things at a glacial pace but Callahan should be moving up after the All-Star break if he can avoid a slump in the meantime.
In the second, singles from Chris Meyers and Izaac Pacheco led to their second run. In the third, they really poured on the offense. Peyton Graham singled with one out and John Peck drew a walk. A two-out single from Andrew Jenkins plated Graham, and then Meyers walked to load the bases. Pacheco ripped a two-run single to right field and then stole second base. E.J. Exposito came through with a two-run single of his own, and it was 7-3 Erie through three innings.
The Detroit area’s own Alex Mooney hit a solo shot off of Hunley in the fourth to make it a 7-4 game, and the RubberDucks chipped away at the lead with a two-run sixth against Johan Simon.
Moises Rodriguez took over in the ninth with a 7-6 lead looking for the save. He got a quick pair of ground outs and his sinker is popping triple digits now that the weather has heated up. That didn’t stop Jaison Chourio, who got a hanging slider and launched it to right for just the second homer against Rodriguez this year.
Tie ballgame.
The reversal came quickly in the bottom half. Graham walked, and Peck smoked a double off the right field wall. Graham raced first to home ahead of the relay, and the SeaWolves had a walkoff winner.
Peck: 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, BB, 2 K, SB
Graham: 1-4, 2 R, BB, K
Pacheco: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB
Hunley: 4.0 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will morph into the Flagship City Kitties on Friday, as they hunt for their fifth straight victory at 6:35 p.m. ET.
The Whitecaps beat up on Captains starter Melkis Hernandez, only to watch their bullpen blow the lead late on Thursday.
Right out of the gate, a one-out single from Andrew Sojka and a double from a still hot Ricardo Hurtado got the Whitecaps in scoring position, and Sojka scored on a ground out for a 1-0 lead.
Starter Lucas Elissalt leaked two runs in the bottom half on a single-double-single combination, but in the second, Samuel Gil and Junior Tilien led off with singles. Caleb Shpur’s automatic double scored Gil, and a Sojka single scored Tilien. Shpur was thrown out at the plate, but it was 3-2 ‘Caps.
The third opened with back-to-back doubles from Clayton Campbell and Luke Shliger for a 4-2 lead. Unfortunately Gil lined into a double play to snuff that threat from developing further.
Elissalt allowed a Dean Curley solo shot off a high fastball in the bottom of the third that got the Captains back within one. The right-hander has struggled early on this year, but we keep seeing hints of more velocity, and he was really just bit by sequencing. Other than the solo shot he wasn’t hit hard at all and was in pretty good command of his stuff.
Again the Whitecaps pushed across a run in the bottom half on a Campbell sac fly that scored Sojka.
Unfortunately, that 5-3 lead wouldn’t hold up as Preston Howey surrendered three runs in the sixth, and the offense went quiet.
Sojka: 3-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 K
Hurtado: 2-5, 2B, K
Gil: 2-4, R
Elissalt: 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:00 p.m. ET start on Friday with the Captains up 2-1 in the series.
Malachi Witherspoon’s control was pretty shaky again in this one, and the bullpen kept leaking runs while the offense was pretty quiet.
Witherspoon did settle in eventually, but he coughed up two runs in a pretty laborious first inning. He shut the Threshers down from there and found his command to a degree, but was still pretty efficient. He departed in the fourth and Yendry Gomez cleaned up that inning and spun a scoreless fifth as well.
In the fifth, the Flying Tigers finally capitalized on an opportunity when a passed ball got Nick Dumesnil to second base, and a Beau Ankeney single scored him. In the sixth, Anibal Salas singled with two outs, and Hunter Dobbins doubled him in.
At that point it was a 2-2 game and things were looking up.
In the bottom of the sixth, Luke Hoskins came on for Lakeland and an error on Jude Warwick allowed the leadoff hitter to reach and then steal second base. A double that Javier Osorio couldnt’ snare at third gave the Threshers the lead. Hoskins leaked another run before getting out of the inning, and gave up one more in the seventh as the Flying Tigers’ offense went silent.
Dobbins: 2-4, RBI, 2B, K
Warwick: 2-5, 2 K, SB
Witherspoon: 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers lead the series 2-1 heading into a 6:30 p.m. ET matchup on Friday.
20-year-old Jack Bushell, another of the Tigers’ Australian pitching contingent alongside Ali Tanner, went through the Phillies like an angry weedeater in this one, striking out 10 and allowing just a solo shot in five innings of work.
Angel de los Santos, a fast-rising 19-year-old shortstop prospect, mashed a three-run shot in the fifth that was the decisive blow in this one.
Just as nice to see was the return of SS/2B Franyerber Montilla. The 21-year-old slick fielding switch hitter blew out his ACL last July, and this was the first we heard about his status. He went 0-1 with two walks and scored a run. He’ll need some time to build up, but my guess would be West Michigan is his final destination, playing second base alongside Bryce Rainer.
De Los Santos: 1-2, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB, K
Steven Madero: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, K
Bushell (W, 1-1): 5.0 IP, ER, H, 0 BB, 10 K
The Yankees are going to have to pass the “Playing without Aaron Judge Test” repeatedly over the next several weeks, but they’ve passed the initial run. They’ve won five of six since the Captain’s injury was officially announced, with the offense particularly stepping up in a series sweep in Cleveland. The road trip continues with the team’s first visit to Canada this year, where they’ll look to repay the Blue Jays for Toronto’s domination of New York last year.
On the site today, we turn our sights to the Jays, with Matt previewing the three-game set. Later, Sam recaps Thursday’s American League action, and Nick praises the great Hideki Matsui on the occasion of his 52nd birthday. Also, Peter’s sequence of the week highlights Fernando Cruz, and Jeff discusses how Trent Grisham’s resurgence couldn’t have come at a better time.
New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays
Time: 3:07 p.m. EST
TV: YES, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
1. On the occasion of the Yankees visiting Toronto, do you think the Jays are still a major threat to come back in the division? Or do you think they’ve fallen far back enough?
2. Can you think of a baseball analogue to what happened in Game 4 of the NBA Finals?
Jason Lane’s four home runs and 31 total bases in 1998. Greg Swindell’s 29 strikeouts for Texas in 1985. Mark Kotsay’s both-ways dominance for Cal Fullerton in 1995. Arizona State first baseman Bob Horner’s 11 RBIs in 1977.
The College World Series has been the stage for some of the top individual performances in NCAA history. Last year, LSU righthander Kade Anderson was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player after striking out 10 batters in the opening game of the finals against Coastal Carolina.
This year’s series features a record five teams from the SEC along with North Carolina, West Virginia and Troy.
One player will end up taking the wheel and leading his team to the national championship. Before play begins on Friday, here are the pitchers and hitters to watch heading into the CWS:
Aoki spent most of the year in the bullpen, earning a finalist nomination for Stopper of the Year honors as the nation’s top reliever, but has delivered 11.2 innings and 20 strikeouts in two starts in this tournament. The first catcher in Division I history to post 25 home runs and 25 steals in the same season, Jackson (.396 BA) won the triple crown in the SEC and is up to 31 homers after hitting a pair in the super regionals against Mississippi State.
DeCaro (11-2, 2.28 ERA) is a veteran of this stage after giving up one run and striking out six across four innings of work in the Tar Heels’ win against Virginia in the 2024 CWS. He’ll likely draw the nod for the opener against Mississippi. A transfer from George Mason, Hull (.390, 81 RBIs) had four doubles and the walk-off winning hit against Southern California in the super regionals.
A projected top pick in this year’s MLB draft, Volantis (2.03 ERA) is nearly untouchable when on his game and pretty unstoppable even when things aren’t working well; he had a season-high four wild pitches but still struck out 10 in an easy 11-3 win against Oregon in the super regionals. Robbins has continued to mash since joining the Longhorns from Seton Hall, posting a .342 average and 24 home runs with a 1.115 OPS.
Just a freshman, Upchurch has battled through some early command issues (40 walks in 70.2 innings) to go 8-3 with 77 strikeouts and a 3.57 ERA while holding batters to a .198 average. It’s been a frustrating year at times for Lebron, who is hitting just .277, down from a .316 mark in his breakout sophomore season. But he’s one of the best base-stealers in the nation (41 steals in 42 attempts) and can make a huge impact even if his bat is missing.
Yehl (2.10 ERA) has worked his way back from Tommy John surgery to become one of the top southpaws in the country. He’s given up just two runs on seven hits in his past two tournament starts. Kelly has posted at least one hit in all seven tournament games, pushing his average to .384, and the sophomore brings even more value thanks to his ability to man both catcher and second base at a high level. A strong CWS could vault him to the top of the list among 2027 draft prospects.
Ole Miss needs more from Townsend in Omaha. While still one of the top college arms in this year’s draft, he’s struggled of late, giving up 14 runs over 12 innings in his past three starts. That’s kicked his ERA to 3.94, up from 2.42 in early May. Utermark (22 home runs) went 3 for 7 with 4 RBIs to pace the Rebels’ two-game sweep of Auburn in the super regionals.
The decision to move Rager from Sunday starter to the top of the rotation for the tournament has paid off for the Sooners. The freshman struck out eight in six innings in the regional opener against The Citadel and then delivered brilliant performance in the Lawrence super regional, holding host Kansas to just one hit in six innings. A junior college transfer this past offseason, Lachance has split time between catcher and first base. His bat travels: Lachance is hitting .332 while leading OU in hits (73), home runs (15) and RBIs (62).
Smith joins Benjamin Stubbs (6-3, 4.93 ERA) and Tommy Egan (6-5, 5.38 ERA) in Troy’s rotation. He pitched four innings of one-run ball to eliminate Florida in the regionals. Piasecki’s elite hit tool has sparked the Trojans’ offense since he joined the program from Central Michigan. The middle infielder is hitting .346 with far more walks (39) than strikeouts (24). Beyond Piasecki, Troy has been boosted by a power surge from designated hitter Jabe Boroff, who is hitting .462 with six homers in the tournament.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: College World Series best players: Two keys for each team in Omaha
Less than a decade ago, the British GP was on the brink of disappearing but this July it will break the record for the biggest ever with 570,000 through the gates
The scale of change at the British Grand Prix in recent years will be writ large come July when the meeting is poised to become the biggest in Formula One history.
This year’s race is expected to sell out its new capacity of 570,000 over four days, which will be a record-breaking 50,000 increase on the previous highest attendance of 520,000 at the Australian GP in 1995. Only Wimbledon, across two weeks, will boast more numbers in the UK summer with Silverstone the largest event on F1’s calendar.
Continue reading...Sixers draft profile: Will Chris Cenac Jr. put it all together in the NBA? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
A scouting report on NBA draft prospect Chris Cenac Jr.:
Cenac clearly possesses NBA size and athleticism. He has a 7-5 wingspan and performed well on the draft combine’s athletic testing, including a 37-inch maximum vertical leap.
In his lone college season, Cenac used those tools to consistently rebound at a good rate. He had 14 double-digit rebounding games. Over 37 outings, Cenac posted at least one offensive rebound on 33 occasions.
Cenac is a fluid mover for his size defensively and showed skills at Houston beyond the big man basics. At 19 years old, it’s doesn’t appear outlandish to think Cenac could get much better in the right developmental situation and provide considerable versatility on both ends of the floor in the NBA.
While Cenac didn’t have the production of many other first-round prospects, he was a helpful role player on a strong college team. He played 24.8 minutes per game for the 30-7 Cougars and averaged 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson admired his day-to-day approach.
“I love that kid,” Sampson told reporters in January. “I love him. He never has a bad day and I have worn him out. … He’s never, ever not looked me in the eye. He’s never had one ounce of bad body language. He’s never, ever been late. He’s always one of the first ones in, one of the last to leave.
“He is like a huge sponge. Wherever he’s playing in the NBA down the road, that team is going to be lucky to get him. He is an awesome, awesome young man.”
Though Cenac flashed shooting ability in college from both three-point territory and the mid-range, he wasn’t particularly efficient.
He made 30 of 90 threes (33.3 percent) and 36 of 58 free throws (62.1 percent). As far as form, it’s noticeable that Cenac seems to lean back a bit during his shooting motion. The jumper is not currently a positive, dependable part of his game.
What position will suit Cenac as a professional? He doesn’t need to be exclusively a power forward or a center, but it’s worth asking whether his NBA team will be able to find a sweet spot in terms of positional usage.
Perhaps Cenac will put it all together in the NBA, but he comes across as a prospect still figuring out where he’s best and what he should focus on. It’s fine if he needs time to adapt to the NBA and hone specific skills like his jumper and his post defense, but there’s plenty of projection required for any team that believes in Cenac as a future starter.
The Sixers have drafted several second-round big men in recent years, including Johni Broome (35th overall pick in 2025) and Adem Bona (41st in 2024).
If new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey took Cenac at No. 22, we imagine he’d mainly be investing in the Sixers’ frontcourt future. Even if Joel Embiid’s health fortunes improve, he’s 32 years old and won’t play at an All-Star level forever.
ESPN | Enrique Rojas: The Red Sox sit in last place in the division, and even though the last Wild Card slot is currently held by the .500 Texas Rangers, there isn’t much faith in Fenway making a push to contend this year. Plenty of people expect Boston to be sellers, and they have a few short-term rentals that could entice some good returns including their closer, Aroldis Chapman, who is miraculously in the best form of his career despite now being 38 years old.
Chapman knows he’s on the trading block, and could expect to be in a different uniform by the deadline, but there’s one particular jersey he wouldn’t want to put on again unless his conditions were met. He said he would want an apology from the team, more specifically Brian Cashman, for how his Yankees tenure ended before he could feel comfortable playing for them again. This may come as a surprise to anyone who was following the team when he last played here, because that 2022 season burned every ounce of remaining goodwill the closer had with the fanbase — after years of underperformance in the playoffs and routine stretches of blowing games by not coming close to finding the strike zone, Chapman went and got a tattoo midseason that got infected forcing the team to sit him on the IL and all but handed the closer gig over to Clay Holmes. Then at the end of the year, Chapman got left off the postseason roster when he missed a mandatory practice before the ALDS.
Frankly, the Sox would never trade Chapman over to their archrivals in the first place so this is a moot point, but I also wouldn’t want him to ever come back even if he is pitching lights out nowadays and I certainly don’t think Cashman owes Chapman any sort of apology. I hardly think I’d be alone in that belief.
NY Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees are heading north of the border to Toronto for the first time this season, and thus also returning for the first time since their brutal ALDS games last year. The team may be without Aaron Judge in the lineup for the foreseeable future, but their rotation looks to be significantly better than when they traveled up and got shelled for 23 runs in two games. They’re also facing a Blue Jays team that is much further out of the race than the last time they made their initial trip up, as last year’s first meeting was the turning point that gave Toronto a division lead that wouldn’t get relinquished following a four-game sweep.
NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: There was some friendly tomfoolery at the ballpark on Wednesday, as Cody Bellinger was subjected to a professional heckler. The content creator Trevor Gilmore has a dedicated page to heckling the road team’s left fielder with some ultimately harmless jokes alongside playfully calling them a bum, and he gets invited by several MLB teams to come and run his schtick for them with Cleveland happening to be his latest appearance. Bellinger said that he heard the chants loud and clear, but had fun with it and noted that he had some good lines.
MLB.com | Henry Palattella: Paul Goldschmidt entered this season expecting a part-time role for the first time in his lengthy career, and he openly embraced the role of the veteran backup. He kept himself productive enough in the first month and change of the season, but once injuries began to mount in the lineup and his name started appearing regularly in the lineup again he showed that there was no rust on the seven-time All-Star’s bat. He’s had a hot May and carried it over into June, hitting for a .924 OPS with seven homers and 23 RBI in 31 games played, and even though some of the regulars are set to return soon having a productive Goldy who can stay ready whether he’s sitting for days on end or has to play a week straight will be vital to this team staying in a rhythm offensively.
Erling Haaland swapped the football pitch for the ice rink as he and his Norway team-mates took in a Stanley Cup match.
The Norway contingent provided lively support for the Carolina Hurricanes in game five of the NHL play-off series against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.
The Manchester City forward, who will make his long-awaited World Cup debut against Iraq on 16 June (23:00 BST), cut a relaxed figure at the Lenovo Centre in Raleigh, waving to the crowd when the Norway team appeared on the scoreboard screen and swinging a Hurricanes rally towel around his head.
Arriving at the game in a grey polo shirt, he was later filmed beaming in a white and red Hurricanes jersey emblazoned with the number nine – the same number he wears for both club and country.
The Hurricanes, targeting their first Stanley Cup crown for 20 years, lead the Golden Knights 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, completing a 4-2 regulation win in game five.
Norway are playing at their first World Cup since 1998 – and their first major tournament since Euro 2000 – and have already made a mark despite not starting their campaign until next Tuesday.
The squad donned authentic Viking dress for an epic send-off photograph by acclaimed British photographer David Yarrow, titled The Vikings Are Coming, and have also paid tribute to their players' roots with a team photo featuring the shirts of their first clubs.
Norway are based in Greensboro, North Carolina – about 80 miles from the Hurricanes' Raleigh home – for the duration of the tournament, with the opportunity to watch the blue riband event of the NHL season coming less than a fortnight after the men's national ice hockey team shocked Canada in overtime to clinch the bronze medal at the World Championships.
After facing Iraq in their World Cup opener in Boston, Norway travel to New Jersey to play Senegal (23 June, 01:00 BST) before returning to Boston for a meeting with France (26 June, 20:00 BST).
Dalton and Tristi's NBA mock draft 3.0: Who Warriors, Kings pick in first round originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
And just like that, the 2026 NBA Draft is right around the corner.
Yes, the Finals still are underway. Everybody has been locked in watching the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks, and they should be. But for the other 28 teams, their eyes are on the draft.
Can the Kings find a franchise savior with the No. 7 pick? Will the Warriors add a rookie who can help Steph Curry right away with the 11th pick?
The draft now is less than two weeks away, so it’s time for another guessing game. Dalton Johnson and Tristi Rodriguez predict all 30 first-round picks with plenty of changes in our mock draft 3.0.
Dybantsa makes it through three rounds as the first pick in our mock drafts. From high school to his one season at BYU, Dybantsa has shown he has the makings to be a star. We’ll see if he keeps the top spot. –Dalton Johnson
A superstar will soon be born again in Utah since Donovan Mitchell’s departure. Peterson’s services will give the Jazz a nightmare backcourt duo alongside Keyonte George. –Tristi Rodriguez
In the end, Boozer might be the most ready-now prospect, and the best in the long run. The Grizzlies still are big winners with the third pick. –DJ
Wilson’s infectious smile will soon grace Chi-Town, and so will his athletic, 6-foot-10 two-way abilities. –TR
The Clippers get their pick of point guards as the draft starts to really get interesting. They could also go super-sized and take Michigan center Adaya Mara. Instead, they land on Keaton Wagler, at 6-foot-6 with an exceptional feel for the game, to pair next to Darius Garland. –DJ
It was revealed earlier this week that Ament and fellow draft prospect Karim Lopez were going head-to-head in a workout with the Nets. Ament has been heavily linked to Brooklyn in recent weeks, and it appears they could roll the dice on him. –TR
With the Nets’ reported interest in Nate Ament increasing, that could change everything for the Kings – in the best way possible.
The Kings have had their eye on Acuff Jr., but there is concern that he won’t still be on the board by the seventh selection. Some reports have even indicated that Scott Perry could opt to trade up just to secure Acuff Jr., but with this route, that wouldn’t be necessary.
The connections between Acuff Jr. and the Kings date back to when Perry coached his dad, Darius Acuff Sr., at Eastern Kentucky in 1997.
The two are both Detroit natives.
In one season at Arkansas, Acuff Jr. averaged 23.5 points on 48.4-percent shooting, with 3.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.2 turnovers in 35.1 minutes through 36 games. He also shot an impressive 44.0 percent from beyond the arc on 5.8 3-point attempts per game.
It is no secret that the Kings need a starting point guard. Not only does Acuff Jr. fill that void, but he also checks several boxes Sacramento needs as a pure three-level scorer who can get a bucket when he needs to.
And perhaps most importantly, the star potential is there, something needed for a team like the Kings, who finished 22-60 last season. –TR
CJ McCollum did what he needed to do to lead the Hawks to a first-round playoff appearance, but his lack of consistent help is why the Hawks got the first-round boot. Brown Jr. gives Atlanta at least another consistent shot creator to pair with McCollum. –TR
When there’s smoke, there’s fire, and these two sides keep getting connected to one another. Burries does a bit of everything well and is a strong 6-foot-4 combo guard at 215 pounds who can get downhill and can help on both sides of the ball. –DJ
The Bucks can go a number of ways. They also might be operating under the assumption they’ll have another first-round pick from a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Here, the Bucks bring in a point guard who can guide them into the future and has star potential. –DJ
What order Michigan’s Big Three goes will be as interesting as who the Warriors wind up selecting here. The Warriors have multiple areas to address, and Johnson’s athleticism and defensive versatility would be an instant spark for a team looking to get back on the right path.
Johnson already impressed as Mr. Dirty Work in his two years at Michigan and now has been rising up boards throughout the pre-draft process. He came in at 6-foot-9 barefoot and an extremely strong 251 pounds at the combine as a tweener who can play the 4 and the 5 with an elite profile of a 7-foot-3 wingspan and 8-foot-11 standing reach before owning athletic drills. Johnson can guard out on the wings and be an absolute two-way difference-maker down low.
Though his shot is questioned, he has shown feel and touch, shooting 78.2 percent from the free-throw line last season. In Big Ten play, Johnson went 10 of 25 from 3-point range (40 percent). The Warriors will be working Johnson out, per sources, and he could solidify himself as a true option here for them. –DJ
OKC’s offseason began slightly earlier than anticipated after falling just short of defending its 2024-25 NBA title, which means Isaiah Hartenstein could enter unrestricted free agency. Mara would be the best option to back up Chet Holmgren. –TR
A team like the Heat feels like they’d love to see the Warriors and Thunder pass on Lendeborg. He’s a plug-and-play pick who can play the 3, 4 and even small-ball 5 with his 7-foot-3 wingspan. The Heat don’t waste time here. –DJ
Lopez’s draft value has gone up and down over the weeks, but his physique at 19 years old has been enticing for NBA owners and front offices. –TR
Adding Wilson and Carr in the first round gives the Bulls a nightmare in transition for opposing defenses. Carr is a long athlete who has a smooth shot from deep. He won the combine, and the Bulls could win the first round with these two picks. –DJ
Ja Morant’s time in Memphis appears to be nearing an end, so the focus is on the future. Philon Jr. is a shifty combo guard who can both handle the ball but also get a bucket when he needs to as a creative three-level scorer. –TR
If the Thunder do keep this pick, Cenac is worth the swing. He’ll need time to develop and the Thunder might be the perfect home for him. –DJ
The Hornets need to bolster their frontcourt, and through the combine, Steinbach climbed the rankings and solidified his status as a first-round draft prospect. –TR
Look past Anderson’s height at just under 6-foot-1 barefoot and put on the tape. Anderson can put the ball on a string and be lights out from three. In an early-season win against Duke, Anderson scored 27 points and had five assists and made five 3-pointers. –DJ
Despite showcasing one of the most embarrassing defeats in NBA history in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals, it’s no secret that the young Spurs will be a problem in the West for a while. Quintance could be a welcome addition to something special brewing in San Antonio. –TR
The new-age Grit and Grind Pistons need to get Cade Cunningham some more help in the backcourt. Stirtz checks the boxes as a playmaker and deep threat who can help get Cunningham off the ball more. He’s not an overwhelming athlete, but he is a highly skilled player. –DJ
Philly needs reliable frontcourt depth – emphasis on reliable. Peat is a well-rounded player who’s capable of doing a little bit of everything on the floor. –TR
After taking Brown with their first pick, the Hawks bring in frontcourt help with their second. Veesaar is a 7-foot senior who also shot 42.7 percent beyond the arc. He can be a great complement for Onyeka Okongwu. –DJ
The Knicks are one win away from their first NBA championship in five long decades. Graves could be an intriguing option for Mike Brown and the Knicks. –TR
With Doncic leading the Lakers, they need more talent at center. In comes Reed, who does not miss around the rim, is a lob threat and averaged 19.5 points and 13.2 rebounds per game in the NCAA tournament. –DJ
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound athletic forward/wing will offer frontcourt support to complement Nikola Jokíc and Jamal Murray. –TR
Given a bigger role as a sophomore, Evans was a major reason for Duke’s success. He can space the floor and instantly take part in the Celtics’ 3-point contest. –DJ
Okorie is a lightning-quick point guard who emerged as a standout freshman at Stanford. His presence would allow Anthony Edwards to play more off the ball and more to his original position as a true shooting guard. –TR
Instant offense. That’s what Meleek Thomas brings and who he can be right away in the NBA. Thomas shared a backcourt with Acuff and averaged 15.6 points per game while shooting 41.6 percent beyond the arc in his one season at Arkansas. –DJ
Jefferson’s draft stock has increased in recent weeks. He’s a highly versatile, playmaking forward, often referred to as a “point-forward.” –TR
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Fifty Six years ago on this day Dock Ellis, a 25 year old right handed starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, tossed a no hitter against the San Diego Padres. This wouldn’t normally warrant a full article, especially a no hitter where said pitcher walked eight batters and hit one, but you’ve already read the title, so I’ll just let Dock tell the story in his own words first, since he was a far better story teller than I ever will be.
Apparently there are people out there who don’t think this story happened, among them Pirates beat reporter Les Biederman who was AT the game. Biederman pokes holes in Dock’s story, noting that Ellis arrived on time, and didn’t look like he was under the influence. None of his teammates in that game have corroborated the story either, most notably Willie Stargill, the offensive hero of the game. To put it politely, Dock Ellis was quite the storyteller and some have suggested it is just that, a story. I however am not swayed by most of the arguments that have been made suggesting that this outright didn’t happen.
First off, I think it’s important to point out the context of when this happened, and when this story became public, which was long after the fact. Dock Ellis was a 25 year old in active addiction when this happened. He told this story decades later after sobering up, and later admitted that his biggest regret in life was not being able to remember his greatest personal achievement in pro sports. Having had my own struggled well over a decade ago, I know the struggles of addiction and the pain in Ellis’ voice when discussing it is very real and relatable, and it’s enough for me to believe that some version of his story happened. As far as Ellis not being late for the game, I am sure in his mind Ellis though he was super late, you have to remember that this is someone under the effects of multiple drugs. LSD messes with your perception of time, it can make you very paranoid, but most importantly it makes you a very, very unreliable narrator.
“But Wesley! That still sounds like lying to me!”
The only lying going so far are the lies by omission, that only someone who is familiar enough with the substances mentioned could catch.
This is a bit of a side point, but as someone with ADHD, I would be shocked if Dock Ellis wasn’t self medicating for ADHD, considering all the stimulants he used, and the fact that he struggled to pitch without them. getting back to the main point though, Ellis wasn’t just on LSD, he was on a bunch of stimulants as well as a barbituate. Dexamyl was a combination of the active ingredient in the ADHD medication Dexidrine, and a barbituate tranquilizer, which later was taken off the market due to abuse, and being phased out by more effective Benzodiazapines. The other stimulant medication mentioned is literally just amphetamine, which is also a component of the ADHD medication Adderall. Having friends in both the EDM and the Jam Band/wook scene, I have been told that mixing ADHD meds won’t affect the intensity of a trip or its duration, but what will affect the intensity and effect of an LSD trip is repeatedly dosing yourself for multiple days in a row, which usually just results in a higher tolerance and bum vibes on the last day of EDC. Ellis described using LSD throughout his days off. So Doc’s trip is not off to a great start just from those f.actors. Having taken his dosage at noon, he’d be feeling the affects by one, and by first pitch he would be on the back end of the peak effects, considering LSD lasts roughly 10-12 hours. Even if we account for this being 1970 LSD, which by all consensus was way way too strong, Doc wouldn’t have been tripping his balls off by the end of the game. Regardless of how strong any visual effects were, his performance would still likely have been affected due to one common physiological side affect of LSD though, excessive sweating from the palms. There’s no reason to believe that it would actually interfere enough with his in game performance to actually be all that noticeable, or for it to prevent him from playing, especially a starting pitcher.
Dock Ellis threw multiple complete games in his 1970 season, and in none of those games did he struggle with his control like he did in his no hitter. This is a guy who had BB/9 of 3,9 that season and that includes his eight walks in that game. Take the walks from that game out of his stats and I’d imagine his BB/9 drops down to close to 3 walks per nine innings. So here’s a starting pitcher with otherwise decent control, suddenly walking batters at twice his normal rate. Dock would hit batters on occasion, but usually it was on purpose. Ellis was also usually a fairly good hitter; that season he had 10 hits, including a double, a walk, and a stolen base. Keyword usually, as Ellis was hitless, striking out twice. Having worse control as a pitcher, a bad day at the plate, yet somehow still throwing a no hitter is actually exactly how I’d expect LSD to affect an athlete.
As far as the lack of corroboration from teammates goes, specifically Willie Stargill, I understand completely why he would remain silent. Willie Stargill was involved in the cocaine scandals of the 1980s, I doubt he would want to comment on it for that reason alone. The beat reporter not noticing ‘Ellis being on something’ means very little when this was an addict in active addiction, and when said beat reporter likely had very little familiarity with the substance in question. Unless you know what you’re looking for, you’re not going to notice. (for a great example, look at the creators of South Park when they went to the Oscars on LSD. None of the media noticed or said anything, but in hindsight it is also VERY obvious) Sadly, we don’t have the full game footage, only the final inning, so we can’t examine the game itself for further evidence.
Dock Ellis was a great pitcher, and he deserves to be remembered for more than just his famous feat. He was one of the first athlete activists. He was a great motivational speaker after he got sober, and he used his stories both to help people in recovery, and to hopefully help others avoid making the same mistakes he made. I highly recommend finding ‘No No: A Dockumentary’ which is a fantastic full length documentary exploring more than just Ellis’ no hitter, but his entire life. I think most importantly, it goes over the things Dock was famous for prior to this story taking a life of its own, like in the scene I’ve included below.
So just to conclude things, maybe in reality, this didn’t happen exactly as Dock Ellis described it, but in my heart, I’ll always believe it did.
Good
Rejected
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